1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a switch unit and a game machine, and particularly to the water-proof structure and the light partition structure of a push-button switch unit and a game machine equipped with the same.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, there has been a game machine called a slot machine. In a slot machine, a plurality of reels on each of which a plurality of types of symbols are displayed are spun. Then, a winning combination (“yaku”) is determined on the basis of a matching pattern of symbols that are displayed when the reels are stopped and the matched symbols, and a prize is given according to the determined winning combination and the number of bets.
Further, operations such as the setting of the number of bets and the spinning of the reels have been performed by pressing a button. More specifically, a player presses a bet button with his/her hand to determine the number of bets as many times as the number of bets to be set, and presses a reel spinning button with his/her hand to start the spin of the reels. The reels are automatically stopped by the control of the machine.
In the meantime, a slot machine is placed, for example, in a casino. In a casino, not only slot machines manufactured by a single game machine manufacturer, but also slot machines manufactured by various game machine manufacturers are placed. A player selects a slot machine that suits his/her preference from slot machines manufactured by various game machine manufacturers, and plays the selected one. Therefore, each casino takes the business strategy to ensure superiority to its competitors by placing slot machines that are popular to players. Therefore, each game machine manufacturer makes efforts to provide slot machines that can attract the attention of players.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-111137 (published on Apr. 28, 2005) discloses a slot machine as a game machine that is provided with a display part including a touch panel. In this slot machine, a character and a numeric keypad are displayed on the display part, and the setting of the number of bets and the start of spin of reels are performed by using the touch panel.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-149700 (published on Jun. 15, 2006) discloses a slot machine in which an operating switch is arranged in an inclined surface in view of an easy pressing operation.